I Won't See You Tonight
by Kisara Strife
Summary: I can see the church...I can see Midgar...I could definately make it if I run now- but what about him? I've carried him this far. I may not be a SOLDIER anymore, but I still have my pride, Angeal..


**Author's Note;** Has anyone seen the cutscene where Zack actaully dies (in Crisis Core)? It is just toooooo sad:-( Anyway, this oneshot was written injust under nine minutes as I listened to Avenged Sevenfold's song "_I Won't See You Tonight p.1_"...I seriously hope you like it ppls, so tell me what you thinks!!

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I grunted as I lowered him to the ground behind huge boulder…he should be safe there. Cloud Strife, that nerdy little blond kid I first met on the road to Madeoheim all those yeas ago…_years_…had it really been that long? Had that scientist really had us for a full four years?

The kid didn't look so nerdy anymore…Tseng would wring my neck if he found out I'd been secretly training the kid…hell, I was still in training myself! But that didn't matter now…for a whole twelve godforsaken months we'd ran, well I'd ran and brought my best friend with me; there was no way I could leave him behind, not after being through so much together; we were partners, the two of us…Gongaga and Nibel…Nimb…fuck! I still can't say the goddamn place!

As those haunting glazed-over blue eyes flicked their unresponsive gaze up at me, I knew he could only grasp snippets of what was happening; when in training up in Junon, my regiment had been drilled on the symptoms of Mako-poisoning and Cloud's case seemed petty severe.

_The footsteps_…I could hear them well before the troops caught sight of me; wow! I'm actually honoured the President sent so many of his foot-grunts after us…jeez, there must be well over a hundred, if not two hundred here…all crouching low or standing, lifting their weapons and aiming them at me; I was the Commanding Officer of some of those men and now as I look at them, I know that being a CO means fuck-all right at this moment. A chopper's blades echo in my eardrums…but it's too far away to stop this…Cissnei and Tseng, I know you guys would have stopped this from happening…but I can't…SOLDIERs hold onto their pride till the last breath.

Bolts are all slid backwards as magazines were slotted into place, then pushing of the bolts forward and the bullet entered the chamber…no safety catches to disarm; Shinra troops didn't believe in them…Shinra as an entity did not spare anyone, ever.

_I'll take your dreams far, Angeal_…

The hilt of the now-familiar sword felt welcoming in my grasp as I stood it momentarily in front of me and, with lightening-speed, threw a quick half-glance over my shoulder; it seemed so near…after so long and so much travelling my master plan had just about come full-circle…only I wouldn't be there to see it through. It'd sounded so simple; get out, get Cloud and find Aerith- end of story, but my story had just entered its last chapter and the grand finale wasn't the one I'd first imagined, yet I'm not gonna lose face at this stage of the game.

My parents would never know why I did this, and I wish they could understand my position…they did nothing wrong; I was raised well, sure I might have got into _a lot_ of trouble, but I'd just always had a knack for that and now, as I glance straight in a troop's eyes and notice the murderous gleam within, I know I still very much possess that knack…hehehe…

A stab in my chest and I know the bullets haven't been fired yet…it's my heart. Aerith, baby…I promised I'd be back and now I can't keep that promise…Tseng told me he'd ensure your safety and he better, or I'll come back and haunt him! If I meet Sephiroth and Genesis on the other side, I'll give them all the shit they deserve…but then again, I don't think I'm goin to hell, huh Aer? Oh, well…I wanted to be in SOLDIER…I got there…I wanted to be 1st Class…and I got there too…but now I want to be with you in that stupid church with its stupid leaky roof and yellow and white flowers…and I know that I'm not gonna achieve that dream…I tried babe, honestly I did…but…Damn! I can see that fucking church from where I'm standing!…I know I could get there and be with you if just…no! I'm not gonna run, I'm not gonna leave my buddy or shirk my punishment; my pride and honour as a SOLDIER won't let me…no, my pride and honour as Zack Fair of Gongaga won't let me…sorry love, but I won't see you tonight…

"_**Aerith**_!"

Bullets every which way…pain though I didn't register it…just keep advancing, hold you ground and defend it to the very end…that's the way he'd taught me and Angeal done a damn fine job too! They're getting closer now and I've lost count of how many lumps of lead are now embedded in me…my uniform is soaked red, and for some reason I don't think Cissnei is gonna wash it for me this time…The last four are the ones to gain the privilege of flooring me…the ground's wet with rain and actually welcoming as I cough red…grinning faces as they look down at me with disgust then head for where I left Cloud…no!

"The kid's hardly worth it; look at him…he's dead already!"

_Dead already_…no, he couldn't be…but they're wrong; above my own raspy breathing I can still hear his. Y'know, even though the sky is grey and releasing its saturating downpour lightly all over Gaia, it still beats looking up at that plate…

"Z…Zack?"

Damn, I was enjoying looking up at the sky…I forced myself to blink the rainwater out of my eyes, but it was no use…instead I tilted my head slightly with what little strength I had and ignored the agonizing pain as I saw him…awake fully for the first time in a whole year.

"Hey Blondie…"

I thrust the hilt into his pale hand and smirked slightly, laughing as he looked at me with those demon eyes…he was as good as a SOLDIER now with those trademark irises…then I couldn't see him anymore as that cry pierced the air.

_Angeal_…_lend me your wings_…

I grasped the outstretched hand and smirked as I felt the Promised Land welcome me…

_Take care of Aerith for me, huh Cloud_?

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**a/n- did u like dis oneshot? I'm gonna resist the urge to continue as I've actually never played FFVII (I know-I'm 16 and in the process of getting it- does anyone know if a PS2 will play it?) **

**Anyway, this was also just a way of trying to get rid of my Writer's Block on my other like 21 fics...but still, I didn't thin it was too bad for under ten minutes work...tell me what you guys thought!! C yas XxxxxxxX**


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